Professor Kevin Staley joins us today in discussing all things philosophical and environmental. These subjects are central to the character of this notable Saint Anselm teacher and local New Hampshire “urban gardener” whose fascination with the natural world has contributed greatly to his philosophical outlook. Kevin has been cultivating the soil and cultivating curiosity in Saint Anselm students for three and a half decades as he continues to try to understand where we humans fit into seen and unseen universe. Settle in for this free-wheeling conversation about Kevin’s Kentucky upbringing, metaphysical ideas, Neoplatonic thought, and what we can learn from Boethius, pepper plants, and our dogs.

New Hampshire artist, Sylvia Nicolas, joins us today to bring her perspective on what it's like to grow up into a world heavily influenced by the arts. As a fourth generation artist, she has worked all around the world with her immigrant roots in Holland, then moving to Paris, New York and of course New Hampshire. Her works which edify the campus of Saint Anselm College and Saint Anselm Abbey include mosaics, stain glass and her well-known statues of Saint Anselm, Saint Benedict and the Grotto Madonna. These familiar manifestations of her creative genius are just a portion of Sylvia’s life’s work. Her artistic creations are preceded by an impressive amount of research and analysis which makes her finished work an honest and visionary representation of her subjects. Her dedication to the intellectual life and the way the humanities animate her art make for a lively and engaging conversation with this artist who has been named “a living treasure” of the state of New Hampshire.

Riley Buchanan, a sophomore from Windham, NH, has worked closely with the Humanities Institute, assisting with communications and marketing since the start of 2021. Today, Riley shares her insights as to how The Humanities have impacted her life growing up and how those lessons made her the person she is today. Our conversation greatly reflects that of the younger generation and what it's like to pursue a Liberal Arts education within the post pandemic world. Listen as both Riley and James reminisce upon the dialogues they enjoyed in Conversatio, Saint Anselm’s first-year humanities course. Our conversation not only represents a student’s perspective on Liberal Arts based learning, but more specifically turns to how one can create a foundation for defining and living the good life.

Bob Grappone, a well-known local automobile executive, and the man who, with his wife Beverly, made the initial major gift to found the Gregory J. Grappone ’04 Humanities Institute in their deceased son’s honor, joins us today on this debut program. Bob shares his experiences on how the Humanities have impacted and shaped his philosophies surrounding living life to the fullest. Our discussion covers what it means to practice and achieve ethics in business, as well as the value of great books shared between him, his son Gregory and his friend, documentarian Ken Burns. Known as the Tolstoy trio, there is no end in sight to their continuous pursuit of wisdom and dedication to knowledge in this bold and ever changing world.